Anthony Vito "Tony" Corleone is a

fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life perso ...

in ''

The Godfather ''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 novel of the same title. The film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caa ...

film''

trilogy A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...

directed by

Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five ...

. He is the son of

Michael Corleone Michael Corleone is a fictional character and the protagonist of Mario Puzo's 1969 novel ''The Godfather''. In the three ''Godfather'' films, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Michael was portrayed by Al Pacino, for which he was twice-nominate ...

(

Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino (; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he has received numerous accolades: including an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, and two Primetime Emmy ...

) and Kay Adams (

Diane Keaton Diane Keaton (''née'' Hall, born January 5, 1946) is an American actress and director. She has received various accolades throughout her career spanning over six decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Glo ...

), and the older brother of

Mary Corleone Mary Corleone is a fictional character in ''The Godfather Part III'', portrayed by Sofia Coppola. She is the daughter of Michael Corleone and Kay Adams and sister of Anthony Vito Corleone. ''The Godfather Part II'' Mary first appears in '' Th ...

(

Sofia Coppola Sofia Carmina Coppola (; born May 14, 1971) is an American filmmaker and actress. The youngest child and only daughter of filmmakers Eleanor Coppola, Eleanor and Francis Ford Coppola, she made her film debut as an infant in her father's acclaimed ...

). While Anthony was never a major character in the first two films, major events in his life were the backdrop of key parts of the second film, and his relationship with his father is a plot point in the third film. He is not mentioned by name in

the novel ''The Novel'' (1991) is a novel written by American author James A. Michener. A departure from Michener's better known historical fiction, ''The Novel'' is told from the viewpoints of four different characters involved in the life and work of ...

. The film character was given the name Anthony after the three-year old that portrayed him in the first appearance because he responded better to his own name.

Fictional character biography

''The Godfather'' (novel)

Michael and Kay are said to have two sons, but neither are mentioned by name.

''The Godfather'' (film)

Anthony has a small role in the first film; his only scene of consequence is when he witnesses the death of his grandfather,

Vito Corleone Vito Corleone (born Vito Andolini) is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel ''The Godfather'' and in the first two of Francis Ford Coppola's film trilogy. Vito is originally portrayed by Marlon Brando in the 1972 film ''The Godfathe ...

(

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...

), who dies while playing with him in the garden. He is portrayed by Anthony Gounaris. The character was given the name Anthony because it was thought that the 3-year-old Gounaris would respond best if his own name was used. ''The Godfather'' is Gounaris' only role to date.

''The Godfather Part II''

The second film's plot line opens in 1958, with Anthony's first communion. It continues with an extravagant banquet held in his honor at the family estate near

Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe (; was, Dáʔaw, meaning "the lake") is a freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. Lying at , it straddles the state line between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake i ...

. During it, his father's time is largely taken up with tending to the family business, an ongoing theme throughout the film. Anthony receives many gifts, mostly from people he does not know, which confuses him. Later in the film, he and his sister,

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

, overhear their parents arguing; Kay voices her concerns that Michael's

button men ''Button Men'' is a dice game for two players invented by James Ernest of Cheapass Games and first released in 1999. The length of games are short, typically taking less than ten minutes to play. Each player is represented by a pin-back button ...

are Anthony's primary playmates. Michael refuses to believe he has influenced his son in any negative way. After Michael and Kay get divorced, Michael refuses to allow her to see Anthony and Mary. Anthony seems to resent his mother's role in his parents' split, and is sullen and unaffectionate during her visit, arranged secretly by his aunt Connie (

Talia Shire Talia Rose Shire (née Coppola; born April 25, 1946) is an American actress who played roles as Connie Corleone in ''The Godfather'' films and Adrian Balboa in the ''Rocky'' series. For her work in ''The Godfather Part II'' and ''Rocky'', Shire ...

), Michael's sister. Michael discovers Kay's unauthorized visit and sends her away coldly. At the end of the film, Anthony has developed a close relationship with his uncle

Fredo Fredo is a masculine given name, and diminutive of Alfredo or Federico, which may refer to: People * Getúlio Fredo (born 1954), Brazilian football manager * Fredo Santana (1990–2018), stage name of American rapper Derrick Coleman (born 1990) ...

(

John Cazale John Holland Cazale (; August 12, 1935 – March 13, 1978) was an American actor. He appeared in five films over seven years, all of which were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture: ''The Godfather'' (1972), ''The Conversation'' (197 ...

), Michael's brother. When they are about to go fishing together, Michael calls Anthony away, insisting he accompany him to

Reno Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is th ...

. Fredo is then assassinated by Al Neri ( Richard Bright) on Michael's order. He is portrayed by James Gounaris, the brother of the first film's actor. He never took another acting role.

''The Godfather Part III''

Sometime prior to the events of the film, Michael gave Kay custody of Anthony and Mary so she could supervise their education. Anthony, now an adult, along with his mother and sister, Mary, attends a ceremony where Michael receives a citation from the

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

. At the banquet that follows, Anthony, along with Kay, confronts his father, and tells him that he is quitting

law school A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction. Law degrees Argentina In Argentina, ...

for a career in

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

and will never join the "family business". Michael, infuriated, wants him to finish law school. Michael finally relents at Kay's urging. She privately tells Michael that Anthony knows that he had Fredo killed. Anthony's career is a success, and he is set to make his

operatic Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libret ...

debut as the lead in ''

Cavalleria Rusticana ''Cavalleria rusticana'' (; Italian for "rustic chivalry") is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from an 1880 short story of the same name and subsequent play ...

'', in

Palermo, Sicily Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The city is noted for its hi ...

, on

Easter Sunday Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the ''Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel P ...

. His family joins him in Sicily, for the premiere. The day before, as a gift for Michael, he performs the traditional Sicilian ballad " Brucia La Terra" (the official theme of the trilogy). During this trip Anthony, like his father, disapproves of Mary's romance with their cousin

Vincent Corleone Vincent Santino Corleone (''né'' Mancini) is a fictional character in the 1990 feature film ''The Godfather Part III.'' He is portrayed by Andy García, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance. Vincent is the illegitimate son ...

(

Andy García Andrés Arturo García Menéndez (born April 12, 1956), known professionally as Andy García, is a Cuban-born American actor, director and musician. He first rose to prominence acting in Brian De Palma's ''The Untouchables'' (1987) alongside ...

). The film concludes with Anthony's performance. Although the production is a success, it is overshadowed by numerous

murders Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the c ...

and assassinations leading up to, during, and following it – most notably, that of his sister Mary, who is accidentally killed by an assassin during an attempt on Michael's life. Anthony is last seen grieving over Mary's body, along with Michael and Kay. He was portrayed by singer Franc D'Ambrosio.

Sequel novels

Anthony appears in

Mark Winegardner Mark Winegardner (born November 24, 1961) is an American writer born and raised in Bryan, Ohio. His novels include '' The Godfather Returns'', ''Crooked River Burning'', and ''The Veracruz Blues''. He published a collection of short stories, '' ...

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

novels ''

The Godfather Returns ''The Godfather Returns'' is a novel written by author Mark Winegardner, published in 2004. It is the sequel to Mario Puzo's 1969 novel ''The Godfather'' and ''The Sicilian'' (1984). The publisher, Random House, selected Winegardner to write a s ...

'' and ''

The Godfather's Revenge ''The Godfather's Revenge'', a 2006 novel written by author Mark Winegardner, is the sequel to his 2004 novel ''The Godfather Returns''. It is the fourth book in ''The Godfather'' novel series and is chronologically set last. The story takes pl ...

''. In the former novel, he witnesses Fredo's murder from his bedroom window, explaining the third film's revelation that he knows the truth about his uncle's death. In these novels, Anthony has a difficult relationship with his father; he loves Michael, but does not want to become like him. Anthony's ambivalence hurts Michael, but he understands it, as he had once felt the same way about his own father.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Corleone, Anthony Characters in American novels of the 20th century Characters in American novels of the 21st century Literary characters introduced in 1969 Fictional opera singers Fictional Italian American people The Godfather characters Male characters in literature Male characters in film Cultural depictions of the Mafia